Isaac Bowman Straight Bourbon Finished in Port Barrels

Basil Hayden dark rye started me on a port finished bourbons. You immediately smell the fruit from the port. You also smell the alcohol a bit more than I’d prefer. Neat there is some burn that hurts the tasting. Adding ice dilutes the alcohol smell but there is still a burn on the swallow. There is a nice smooth body to this whiskey. I can get a small taste of caramel but a lot of spicy. I do not taste the fruit you smell. Overall a bit more burn and spicy than I’d prefer and not the best aftertaste.

I’ve had a bottle for a few months now. When I first opened it, I didn’t think much of it. After the 3rd or 4th poor this dram really opened up and delightfully surprised me. Nose: oak, barrel sweetness, slight vanilla and cherry note. A red wine/caramel finish rounds off the nose. Taste: port wine influence comes out the gate fast, dark fruits and oak barrel sugars dominate the beginning. Cherry and cinnamon dominate the mid pallet. The finish is mildly oaky with a tinge of vanilla and caramel. Hands down the best Virginia dram I have had to date.

APPEARANCE: Amber tending toward a reddish hue. A quick swirl formed slow moving thin legs. NOSE: Opening the bottle almost smelled like popping the cork on a bottle of red wine. Nosed in my Glencairn I found notes of Oak, Dark Fruits like Raisin and Prunes, Green Apple, and Red Wine with a Savory Slightly Sour note. NEAT: Oak Heavy and Sweet. Red Wine, Vanilla, Cherry Coke, Raisins and Slightly Bitter Tanins. Only slightly warm on the finish with Sweet Oak and light Black Pepper Spice fading to Sweetish Red Wine. SPLASH: Gives the palate an almost applesauce note. Made the oak a little more sour on the finish. I definitely like this one better neat. VERDICT: I liked my second pour of this much better than the first. I think some air really opens it up. This was my first wine barrel finished bourbon. Reasonably priced, and different enough to make this a repeat buy. 4 STARS.

Traditional Bourbon with a bit of port - Isn't the most integrated finished bourbon I have had (Magnus), but definitely enjoyable

Okay this is another one of those underrated bourbons. I feel like when folk rate whiskeys they don’t take into account the price point. Yes it’s great to have a $220 bottle of Angel’s Envy cask strength, but a lot of people don’t live in that world. We should expect a $220 bottle to be BAMF. But to me, that discovery pales in comparison to when a $45 bottle delivers a dynamic flavor like the big boys. Enter my new friend, Isaac. I get sangria on the nose. Like an authentic, home-made one. Tropical fruits, delicious. Body is gentle with vanilla and a deep cherry flavor. Finish is dry, with more of the sangria flavor trailing off. There’s a bit of watermelon in there too. This is delicious. If you’re a fan of Angel’s Envy, run (don’t walk) to your nearest liquor store and buy this. Right now. Compared to Angel’s Envy, it’s cheaper, more readily available, and for my tastes, it’s better. That’s right. I said it.

Good smooth start with a little heat on the back end.